Why Conserve

A member of the Conservation Scotland community

About Why Conserve

Increasing public engagement in biodiversity issues via online communications.

Why Conserve is an online hub and communications channel led by Nathan Roberts in West Lothian, Scotland. The initiative is developing a growing network of individuals, groups and organisations across the UK and beyond to connect people with the means, motives and opportunities for increasing positive actions for the environment through one-off events and everyday lifestyle habits to address local and global biodiversity issues.

Are you in Scotland? So are we! :) Take a look at conservationscotland.uk, get events and news sent to your email, or if you are a group or organisation, add your own! Email enquiries@whyconserve.com.

If you are not in Scotland, drop us an email if you'd like to get something going... nathan@whyconserve.com

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Visit our website at https://whyconserve.com/scotland

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Latest posts

Welcoming new member to Conservation Scotland: Reforesting Scotland

Hello, everyone.

Hope you are well.

We are pleased to welcome a new member to Conservation Scotland: Reforesting Scotland.

"Healthy communities in a well-forested land is our vision!"

As a charity, Reforesting Scotland want to realise an ecologically-restored Scotland, with productive forests and wild woodlands flourishing across the land, alongside resilient and thriving communities.

You can read more about them in the Directory and see their events in the Calendar. Sign up to the community email at www.conservationscotland.uk to receive a weekly calendar of what's going on in Scotland that is open to all and good for nature! You can also find more from our nature-based community on Facebook and Twitter.

Welcome to the Conservation Scotland community!

Have a good day.

All the best,

Nathan

Founder, Conservation Scotland

Welcoming new member to Conservation Scotland: Dee Catchment Partnership

Hello, everyone.

Hope you are well.

We are pleased to welcome a new member to Conservation Scotland: Dee Catchment Partnership.

The Dee Catchment Partnership exists to protect and restore the waters of the River Dee catchment in north east Scotland. Bringing together everyone involved with the river, their work covers the River Dee, its tributary burns, lochs and wetlands, as well as water-related habitats and species. The partnership unites 15 organisations in one shared goal: managing the river system sustainably.

You can read more about them in the Directory and see their events in the Calendar. Sign up to the community email at www.conservationscotland.uk to receive a weekly calendar of what's going on in Scotland that is open to all and good for nature! You can also find more from our nature-based community on Facebook and Twitter.

Welcome to the Conservation Scotland community!

Have a good day,

Nathan

Founder, Conservation Scotland

Practical conservation activity in West Lothian! *Booking required.

Posted on behalf of The Conservation Volunteers
An activity with TCV Edinburgh MWG

Activity date: Tuesday 31st March 2020

Start time: 9:00

Finish time: 16:00

Activity descriptionWe will install a seating area with raised planters. We'll also plant edible and pollinator friendly plants, fruit bushes and create a wildflower border to enhance biodiversity within the Scotrail depot.

Meeting placeOn Regent Road, at the little roundabout opp. St. Andrew's House.

Activity location Scotrail, Bathgate Depot, Edinburgh Road Bathgate, EH48 1BA, EH481BA

Site descriptionNewly built depot in Bathgate, situated between the train station and a golfcourse.

Contact Diane Obst Telephone: 07824522314

Email: edinburgh@tcv.org.uk

Website: www.tcv.org.uk/

Please bring
  • packed lunch
  • suitable outdoor clothes
  • suitable outdoor footwear
Further infoBooking required.

Site Facilities
  • Disabled Access
  • Parking
  • Toilets
  • Disabled Toilets
  • Nearest Toilets - on site


Details: www.tcv.org.uk/
When
31 Mar 2020 at 9:00am
until 31 Mar 2020 at 4:00pm
Where
Scotrail, Bathgate Depot
Edinburgh Road
Bathgate
EH48 1BA

Conservation volunteering at wildlife reserve in North Lanarkshire! *Contact David.

Posted on behalf of The Conservation Volunteers
An activity with Cumbernauld Living Landscape

Activity date: Tuesday 18th February 2020

Start time: 10:00

Finish time: 15:00

Activity descriptionCumbernauld Living Landscape are setting up new weekly volunteer groups in Cumbernauld to improve green spaces. Examples of work to be carried out include: • Sowing wildflower meadows• installing fences• Creating community gardens• Managing woodlands• Building paths• Cleaning ponds• And much more!Volunteering is a great way to get fit and experience the outdoors from a different perspective. It also provides an opportunity to meet new people from a range of backgrounds. We also aim to help volunteers with their own personal development – we can give access to free training courses and Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) if a volunteer stays with us for 3 months.These groups will run every Tuesday and Wednesday from 10- 3, starting from the 3rd of September. Volunteers can sign up for 1 or 2 days a week depending on their preference. Volunteers must be over 16. If you or anyone you know would like to get involved with this project please contact me, by email - d.walsh@tcv.org.uk or phone – 07483050744.

Meeting placeSite could change week to week, contact David to find out meeting point and arrange possible transportation

Activity location Luggiebank Wood Wildlife Reserve, Luggiebank Wood Wildlife Reserve Lennziemill Industrial Estate Cumbernauld, G674AB

Site descriptionMixed woodland, marsh and riparian zones (Luggie river)

Contact David Walsh Telephone: 07483050744

Email: d.walsh@tcv.org.uk

Website: www.tcv.org.uk/

Please bring
  • packed lunch
  • suitable outdoor clothes
  • suitable outdoor footwear
Further infoSite could change week to week, contact David to find out meeting point and arrange possible transportation

Site Facilities
  • Nearest Toilets - Town Centre 1.5 miles


Details: www.tcv.org.uk/
When
18 Feb 2020 at 10:00am
until 18 Feb 2020 at 3:00pm
Where
Luggiebank Wood Wildlife Reserve
Cumbernauld
North Lanarkshire
G67 4AB

Welcoming new member to Conservation Scotland: Castlebank Horticultural Centre

Hello, everyone.

We are pleased to welcome a new member to Conservation Scotland: Castlebank Horticultural Centre.

Castlebank Horticultural Centre strives to promote the principles of inclusivity for all, respect for the environment and all living things within it, expanding our knowledge about the natural world, and promoting the physical and mental health benefits of adopting a balanced lifestyle through engagement with the natural world around us.

The first phase of Castlebank Horticultural Centre, the growing compound opened in May 2014. The second phase, the Community Hub, opened in November 2018 and is now home to a full-time Educational Gardener and a year-long programme of educational activities, volunteering opportunities and community events.

You can read more about them in the Directory and see their events in the calendar. Sign up to the community email at www.conservationscotland.uk and receive a weekly calendar of what's going on in Scotland that is open to all and good for nature!

Welcome to the Conservation Scotland community!

Have a good day,

Nathan

Founder, Conservation Scotland

The Conservation Scotland calendar is changing - free, not free, both ok.

Hello, everyone.

Hope your year is off to a good start.

Last year we received some queries and suggestions about the events shared in our calendar - should they all be free? For the first two years, yes, only free events were invited to be shared on the website, in the interests of accessibility.

In response to the feedback, we opened up a one-question survey for both organisations and for individuals - is it ok to also share events which are not free? The general response - yes, share all nature-based events, regards of free or not, as long as the cost is reasonable and fair.

So we have decided to open up the website to invite organisations to also share events which are not free. Free or not free, both ok.

Thank you to those who kindly shared their views in this decision making process.

For organisations already in the community (who?), please continue to share your events and we will gladly share them. For new organisations, welcome - join and add your first event here: https://interests.me/collection/conservationscotland/connect.

To find out what's coming up in the next few weeks, take a look at the calendar at www.conservationscotland.uk.

And of course, if you want to get in touch, please feel free to drop me an email - nathan@whyconserve.com.

Thank you for your understanding, and best wishes for a nature-filled 2020.

Have a good day.

Nathan

Founder, Conservation Scotland

Twitter: @whyconserve

Green gym conservation volunteering in North Ayrshire!

Posted on behalf of The Conservation Volunteers
An activity with Kilwinning Library Green Gym

Activity date: Wednesday 29th January 2020

Start time: 10:00

Finish time: 13:00

Activity descriptionhe Green Gym is fun and free way of keeping active outdoors. Unlike other conservation projects, the emphasis is very much on health and fitness. It includes a variety of practical conservation tasks (gardening, food growth, habitat creation/management etc), and healthy walking educational activities. Anyone who is interested in getting fit, has an interest in the outdoors, or loves mucking in with practical conservation work then join in. The Green Gym is free and open to all. Sessions start at 10am and run for around 3 hours. It can be flexible to suit your lifestyle.

Meeting placeThe meeting time is proposed for 5 minutes before the start of each session at Kilwinning Library, St Winning's Lane, Kilwinning, KA13 6EP Sessions start at 10am and run for around 3 hours. It can be flexible to suit your lifestyle.

Activity location Kilwinning Library, St Winning's Ln, Kilwinning KA13 6EP, KA136EP

Site descriptionKilwinning Library surrounding area has amenity grassland, and a spread of trees and areas of vegetation.

Contact Adaica Rodriguez Telephone: 07767 112084

Email: adaica.rodriguez@tcv.org.uk

Website: www.tcv.org.uk/

Please bring
  • packed lunch
  • suitable outdoor clothes
  • suitable outdoor footwear
Further infoThe Green Gym sessions are drop in/drop out sessions. There are no time constraints as long as you let the leader knows when you are coming and going.

Site Facilities
  • Disabled Access
  • Parking
  • Toilets
  • Disabled Toilets
  • Nearest Toilets - Kilwinning Library


Details: www.tcv.org.uk/
When
29 Jan 2020 at 10:00am
until 29 Jan 2020 at 1:00pm
Where
Kilwinning Library
St Winning's Ln
Kilwinning
KA13 6EP

Beach clean in Argyll and Bute! **Booking required.** Part of the annual Great British Beach Clean

Posted on behalf of Marine Conservation Society
Arrochar Shore - Beachwatch event 20 Sep 2020

Part of the annual Great British Beach Clean

Date & time:

Sunday, 20 September 2020 - 9:30am - 3:00pm

Meeting location:

Loch Long, Arrochar, car park at the head of the loch opposite the garage.

Additional information:

Litter pickers, bag hoops, gloves, first aid kit provided.

Please bring your own lunch.

Booking essential-

Helen Kennedy, Loch Lomond & Trossach National Park Ranger.

Contact number 01389 727717

Details: https://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/beach/arrochar-shore/event/2020-09-20
When
20 Sep 2020 at 9:30am
until 20 Sep 2020 at 3:00pm
Where
Arrochar Shore
Arrochar
Argyll and Bute

Beach clean in Argyll and Bute! **Booking required.**

Posted on behalf of Marine Conservation Society
Arrochar Shore - Beachwatch event 25 Jan 2020

Date & time:

Saturday, 25 January 2020 - 9:00am - 2:00pm

Meeting location:

Loch Long, Arrochar, car park at the head of the loch opposite the garage.

Additional information:

Booking essential

Contact Helen Kennedy, Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park Ranger

01389 727717

Details: https://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/beach/arrochar-shore/event/2020-01-25
When
25 Jan 2020 at 9:00am
until 25 Jan 2020 at 2:00pm
Where
Arrochar Shore
Arrochar
Argyll and Bute

Beach clean in Edinburgh!

Posted on behalf of Marine Conservation Society
Cramond - Beachwatch event 18 Jan 2020

Date & time:

Saturday, 18 January 2020 - 10:00am - 12:00pm

Meeting location:

The flagpole by Cramond Causeway

Additional information:

Come and kick of the Year of Coasts and Waters with the Marine Conservation Society beach clean and litter survey at Cramond beach!

Our first clean and survey of the year will be on Saturday the 18th of January at 10am meeting at the flagpole near the tide timetable at Cramond.

Catherine and Calum will be on site from 9.30am to set up and sign everyone in for a 10am start.

Calum will give the background and safety briefing before we all head down to our marked out 100m section of beach to pick up and survey all the litter we find between the last high tide and the back of the beach.

If we complete that first 100m section everyone will be more than welcome to take part in a wider litter pick of the area finishing up at 12pm.

Please do come dressed for the weather with lots of layers, closed toe shoes and waterproofs. If you have any of your own litter picking equipment please do bring it along to help out with equipment numbers.

Before the event please do read the risk assessment attached to the Cramond beach page. For anyone under the age of 16 they must be accompanied by a responsible adult who can sign a guardian consent form on arrival at the event.

Well behaved beach cleaning dogs are also welcome!

There will be photos taken throughout the event for social media and the press and a photo consent form will be at the sign in desk for volunteers to sign and decide if they would like to be in photos or not.

If anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to contact catherine on Catherine.Gemmell@mcsuk.org or on 0131 633 4000.

We encourage as many of you as possible to take public transport if possible. If you are driving please be aware the Cramond Park Run will also be happening this morning which can lead to the car park being very busy.

Thank you so much everyone and we look forward to seeing you at our first public Cramond Beachwatch event of 2020!

All the best,

Calum and Catherine

Details: https://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/beach/cramond/event/2020-01-18
When
18 Jan 2020 at 10:00am
until 18 Jan 2020 at 12:00pm
Where
Cramond
Edinburgh